City sidewalks, busy sidewalks

I was feeling as though something was wrong in my bedroom as I tried to fall asleep last night. It took some time before I figured it out: it was too light. They have turned on the Christmas lights on the street outside my flat and suddenly the festive season is upon us. I’m actually glad the lights are on, they had been going up since before Halloween and seeing them there but not lit was actually starting to bother me. Last weekend already the shops were total chaos, and a number of Christmas trees have appeared in the last few days in pretty random places (the entrance to Pizza Express?). So there we have it, the countdown to Christmas has begun. Light displays, excess consumerism and tacky decorations everywhere. Although I must confess, the music did get to me on the weekend, I was happily listening to favorite Christmas albums for the first time in 2007, a very naughty five days before Thanksgiving. Blame England, there is no Pilgrim-based holiday to prevent the Christmas onslaught from starting NOW!